Plectrum piano action



Sept. 22, 1931. G. CASCIOTTA 1,824,705

PLEGTRUM P IANO ACTION Filed Oct. 17. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

WITNESSES Patented Sept. 22, 1931 PATENT OFFICE GIUSEPPE CASCIOTTA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

rmornuu ruuvo [ACTION Application filed October 17, 1930. Serial No. 489,451.

This invention relates to plectrum piano action, such as disclosed in the United States Letters Patent No. 1,462,444, granted to Inc,

v which simulates the tonal qualities of a harp, and has especial referenceto certain improvements in connection with an instrument of this character. The invention has for one of its objects the provision of an improved form of damper action in an instrument of the indicated'charac'ter, whereby the dampers will be moved out of contact with the strings to allow them=to vibrate freely when picked by their plectrums; and also to return the dampers to the strings at the proper time to kill the tone.

With the foregoing and other objects of the invention which will appear as'the following description proceeds, the invention resides in thevcom'binations, construction and operation of the parts'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is atransverse sectional view of an arrangement for an upright piano embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fi ure 1; r i

igure 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the plectrum lever in its retracted position in relation to other parts associated therewith; Y 1

Figure 4 is a front view of the lever shown in Figure 3; p i I Figure 5 is a section'on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are views similar to Figure 5 but showing difierent stages of movementof the plectrum on the lever.

It is to be understood that the musical instrument embodying the present invention will include the desired number of strings mounted upon a soundboard, one of the .strings being designated-10 and'the soundpicked by means arranged on the upper end of alever 12 operated by a key 13 through the intervention of a transmission member 14. The lever 12' is mounted for pivotal movement on a fulcrum or pin 15 carried by a vertiealsupport I6. The lever 12 is proboard being designated 11. Each string is vided with one or more openings to respectlvely receive guiding elements or pins 17 secured to the support 16, for the purpose of preventing any lateral or sidewise movement or distortion of the lever at its point of pivotal connection incidental to the sidewise strains upon the upper end of the lever. The key 13 is mounted for up and down movement in the usual manner, and the member 14 is pivotally mounted, as shown, on the support 16. A flexible strip 18 made of suitable metal such as brass is secured to the upper end of the lever 12. A retaining device 19 of any preferred form is attached to the upper end of the strip 18, which is designed to firmly and detachably retain a plectrum or pick 20 having the desired flexibility. It will be apparent that by reason of the provision of the strip 18, the device 19 together with the plectrum or pick 20 may be swung to either side within certain limits for a purpose hereinafter fully described.

In order to swing the device 19 and its plectrum or pick 20 there are provided guiding elements 21 and 22 respectively on the soundboard l1 and device 19. Any suitable means, such as a spring 23 having one end bearing on the lever 12 and its opposite end bearing on a rail 24, serves to return the lever 12 to its normal position in which the plectrum or pick 20 will be disposed behind the string 10. It will now be apparent that when the ke 13 is pressed or struck to move it downwar ly, the element 22 will encounter the element 21 thereby causing the plectrum or pick 20 to swing or move sidewise under the tension of the strip 18, that in the further movement of the lever 12 the string 10 will be picked, as shown in Figure 6, causing it to vibrate, as shown in Figure 7. \Vhen pressure on the key 13 is released, the spring 23 will move the lever 12 in an opposite direction, and in so moving the element 22 will encounter the element 21 but on its opposite side, causing the plectrum o'r pick 20 to be swung out of the path of the string 10 50 as not to pick the same, as shown in Figure 8. When the key 13 is pressed down to operate the lever 12, the loo 29 glued to the head. A guid'e' 30"is con-- nect-ed to the upper surface otthe rail 24, whlch guides the damper 28 for sliding movement toward and away from the str ng.

The damper 28 is under the influence of means in the formof a compression and eX- pansion spring 31 which has one end thereof in contact with the damper 28*and its oppositeend in contact with an upstanding bead 32 on therail 2d. The spring 31 has a nor maltendency to constantly urge the damper 28toward the string in contact therewlth. Coa'ctrng meanson the damper 28 and lever 12 is provided whereby thedamper 28' will move out of contact with the string 10 before the stringis picked by the plectrum by .the operation of the lever 12. The said coacting means consistsof a downwardly projecting portion ormember 33 on the damper '28, and an upwardly projecting portion ;or

memberoion the lever 1.2. 7 It will now be understood that when the key 13 is depressed the lever 12 will be operated, causingmotion of the damper 28 out of contact with the string 10 against the action of the spring31.

VAfter the damper 28 has moved out of contact with the string 10, and in the continued movement of the lever 12 the string .10 will be picked by the plectrum 20 and be caused to vibrate. V'When the pressure on the key 131s withdrawn the spring 23 willreturn the lever 12 to its normal position'and the spring 31 will move the damper 28, to its normal 13031131011111 which the disk .29 will'contact with the string 10, whereby "stopping thegvibration of the string. It

scribed is'operated directly by the lplectrum will b'e'apparent that the damper action ,de-

lever, and that it is of simple construction and-issadapted to be easily installedi It is 7 also to be understood that the :Eeatures'of the 5 What is claimed is:

present invention may beapplied to a grand piano action. r I V .7

' l. :In a musicalinstrument of the class described, the combination of a musicstring,

an actuatinglever having means forpicking ft'h'e string-upon the actuation of the lever, a giliiniperniouiited for movement with respect to lsafid string, yieldable means constantly 5; cungonithe damper to urge itI-incontact V with said-string, said damper being in engagement with said lever sothat said damper willjbemoved by the glever out of contact" with said string prior to the string being picked by said picking means.

2. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination of a music string, an actuating lever having means for picking the string upon the actuation ofthe lever, a damper mounted forsliding movement with respect to said string, yieldable means constantly acting on the damper to slide it in contact with said string, said damper being engagement with said lever so that'said damper will be slid by the lever "out of "contact with said string prior to the string being picked by said picking means. 3:111 a 'masicai instrument of the class described, the combination" of a musicstring, an actuating lever having means for picking the string upon the actuation of the lever, a rail, a damper mounted on sald rail for movement toward and away from said string, yieldable means arranged between said rail and damper to constantly act on the damper to urge it in contact with said string, said damper ,being in engagement with said lever so that said damper will be moved by the lever out of contact with said string prior to the string being picked by said picking means.

a. In a musical instrument of t string, an actuating lever having means for picking the string upon the actuation of the lever, a damper mounted for movement with respect to saidistring, ,yijeldable means constantly acting on the damper to 'urge it in contact withsaid string, a downwardly projecting portion on said damper in engagement with an upwardly projecting portion on said lever, whereby the damper will be moved by the lever out of contact with i said string prior to the string being picked by said picking means. a

5. Inlafmusical instrument of the class described, the combination of a music string, a pivoted actuating lever having means for picking the string upon the actuatlon of the lever, a damper mounted for movement with respect to said stringfand extending transversely of said lever, yieldable means constantlyacting on the damper to urge it in contact with said string,sa id damper being in engagem'entwith said leverso that said damper will be moved by the lever out of contactwith said string prior to the string being fpicked by said .picking- 'means p l v f f 6. In a musical-instrumented. the class described, the combination of a music string,

" a-ipivoted-key operatedflever having means for picking the string upon the operation" of said lever, arail, aydamper, a guideon said rail to guide said damper for movement toward and away from said string and disposed transversely 10f said lever; coacting he'class descrlbed, the comb-inatlon of a muslc means on' the, lever and damper whereby to move the damper out of contact with the string by the operation of the lever, to allow the string to vibrate when picked, means to return the damper into contact with said string subject to the return movement of said lever to its normal position, and means to return said lever to its normal position.

7 In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination of a string damper, a lever, a projecting portion of said damper which coacts with a projecting portion on said lever whereby to move said damper by the operation of the lever out of contact with a string to allow it to vibrate freely when picked, and a plectrum on said lever to pick said string after the damper has been moved out of contact with the string.

Si ned at New York City, in the county of N ew York and State of New York, this 16th day of October, 1930.

GIUSEPPE CASCIOTTA. 

